Happy Birthday, Elliot Nightray
by eriririri
Summary: Storms and lack of sleep have, obviously, kept the young Nightray awake. He decides to reach out to Leo, only he isn't there. Upon finding him, melodies, words, and much more are exchanged. In honor of Elliot Nightray's birthday.


WARNING: Contains fluff and such. Don't like, go back. Like it, stay. Enjoy!

Pandora Hearts.  
Elliot/Leo - Fluff, Angst(ish...?).  
**Songs:** _Statice_, _Lacie_, and _Carnival of Rust_ - Poets of the Fall.  
**Disclaimer:** I obviously own nothing but the fanfic.

The Nightray boy just couldn't sleep. That was all. The rain, for him, was rather soothing - but something about it made him not be able to get the sleep he needed. The thunder? The cracks, the light from beyond the window - the loudness and the suddenness of it? Again, he didn't know. Yes, again, it was soothing - but something about it that night seemed off.

He turned restlessly, growling under his breath when he was unable to get uncomfortable. He reached around for something - or, rather: someone. "Why is he not...?" Elliot muttered bitterly, feeling the spot Leo - his servant, his valet, his friend - would usually sit until, on nights like this, he fell asleep. The Nightray boy continued to feel around, noting the slight warmth beneath his hand. "Where did he...?"

Elliot sighed, pushing himself up out of bed. He walked slowly, trying not to trip or fall - or, worse, stub a toe on the clutters of hardback books scattered on the floor. Once or twice, he almost slipped on a paperback, but soon enough, he safetly made it to his bedroom door unscratched.

The Nightray household has many rooms, all of which Elliot knows like the back of his hand - only because, of course, he has lived their since birth, exploring with his siblings - full and half, playing hide-and-seek and other numerous things. Unlike his room, he could navigate himself perfectly throughout the halls in the dark, not tripping or falling over anything or even into anything.

"Leo's room... Leo's room..." he muttered under his breath, continuing to walk slowly. Even though Leo was indeed his servant, they (of course) didn't share a room. Sometimes, they would on late night studies or, even, when one of them had repeated nightmares. Although the household was rather large, they mangaged to have his valet's room on the same floor as his.

Walking along, he pushed Leo's door open slowly, peering inside. No sign of him. Elliot sighed, though it was more like a growl than anything. "Now I have to search the whole house," he spat under his breath bitterly. "Unless..." he trailed off, the sudden thought coming into his head.

As stated before, the Nightray household has many rooms. All of which, as stated before, Elliot knows. And since Elliot knows, Leo, too, also knows. The rooms consist of storage, personal rooms, bathrooms, drawing rooms, and many other things. But, also, a music-type room - which, in its walls, held violins, flutes, and last but not least, pianos.

Many pianos - too many, in fact, to list. But, as always, the one favorite amoung the master and servant was the grand piano. It was big enough that the two could play on it together if they so desired - or, of course, leaning back and listening to the other play.

Elliot decided to look there first. Sighing, narrowing his eyes, he clenched his hands in a determined manner, navigating his way through halls, along staires, passed opened and shut doors, until, finally, the music room.

As the brunette approched the room, he slowed his pace, listening. 'Leo...' The Nightray boy could just imagine him there, sitting on the cushioned seat in his pajamas, his hair (if possible) even more messed up and tangled. He smiled at the image, closing his eyes as he heard, softly, notes being played.

The notes carried through the air, hitting Elliot's ears delicatly, softly, as if said notes knew they deserved to be heard by his ears. Leo's note; Elliot's ears. The brunette sighed blissfully, a small smiled on his face as he walked forward, praying the door didn't creak and squeal as he entered.

And, it didn't.

Elliot stood quietly in the doorway, and until he was sure he wasn't discovered, he inched inside more and closed the door tightly. More notes, beautiful, soft notes - sad notes, filled with despair, sorrow. "How could you play such notes, Leo..." the brunette whispered softly, his brows furrowed as his eyes landed on the back of Leo's head.

More notes. So soft. So rich. Oh so beautiful. They spoke to Elliot, they called out to him - words began to fill the boy's brain.

You know how music can do such a thing, right? Simple notes formed together - how, sometimes, they can form words through your mind; almost as if the piano player transfered a voiced song into those musical notes?

The effect was taking over the brunette's ears. _Don't walk away... don't walk away... oh, when the world is burning... Don't walk away... don't walk away... oh, when the heart is yearning..._

"Ahh," Elliot sighed, leaning against the door soundlessly. Along with the thunder and rain outside, it went along perfectly with the tune, the feel.

A pause in the music and Elliot opened his eyes, relief flooding him as he saw his valet's back instead of his face. "Aaah," Leo noised from the piano. A shuffle of papers and the noise of them being set down, the raven boy in front of the piano shook his shoulders, trying to relax. Almost as if Elliot could see through him, Leo's fingers settled on the keys, hesitantly, slowly, he began to play again - making the certain note-word effect take over Elliot's brain.

_Come feed the rain... 'cause I'm thirsting for your love... dancing underneath the skies of lust..._

"No, no," Leo interrupted himself, cursing under his breath. Another shuffle of papers, and - "Hang on, Leo," Elliot spoke out, trying to act as though he just walked in.

"Oh! Elliot," Leo said suddenly, shaking himself from the nerves. "When did you...?"

"Just now."

"Ah. Could not sleep?"

"Not at all. I was hoping..." Elliot began, sitting down on the couch seated closely to the middle of the room - next to the piano his valet was seated at. "... that you could play me to sleep?"

"Play you to sleep..."

Elliot nodded, and when Leo gestured to the thunder cracking, the lightshow going on beyond the thick curtains, the brunette smiled and shrugged. "I don't mind. When you played moments before, it went along really well with it all."

"Well... uh... okay," Leo agreed - and if Elliot could guess, his eyes were narrowed. Those beautiful eyes. Shimmering, glistening - but not with tears, no. Shimmering and glistening with light, with sparks, with fireflies in the milky, dark night. "Any requests, Elliot?"

He sniffed, laying down the length of the couch. "Statice..."

"Yes," Leo murmured as the brunette closed his eyes, sounding happy he didn't request the one he was just trying to work on.

Elliot laid there, listening, fading in and out of his sleep. "Lacie..." he sighed aloud - loud enough that Leo could hear him; and, among request, Leo's fingers moved in the familiar way in which the melody was played.

Again and again, Leo played the song. Again and again, as the melody played, thunder cracked along beautifully, rain pounded harmoniously. Again and again, Elliot faded in and out, restlessly, moving from side to side on the couch - until: "The song you were playing before..."

"I-It's not completed yet," the raven told him stubbornly, hissing under his breath. Elliot heard him shift uncomfortably in his seat, his bare feet shuffling on the floor.

"Play it."

"No."

"Do it, Leo."

"Or else what?"

"Leo, come on," Elliot said seriously, opening his eyes only to narrow them. "I haven't had a good sleep in weeks. Play the song, Leo."

The raven hissed under his breath, but nonetheless turned slightly from his master and set his fingers on the keys. As he began to play, the effect - yet again - took over Elliot. _D'you breathe the name of your savior..._ Fading out... fading in. _In all this turmoil, before red cape and foil come closing in for a kill..._ Out again... in again. _Yeah, feed the rain... cause without your love, my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust..._ Out once more... and back in once again. _Don't walk away, don't walk away - oh, when the heart is yearning..._

Elliot breathed deeply, smiling as he finally began to drift - but, of course, he was seventy percent in sleep, thirty percent out. He laid there about three/fourths on the way to sleeping as he heard one single line be repeated more than he could count: _Yeah, feed the rain... cause without your love, my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust... without your love, my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust..._

Almost, finally, sleeping, Elliot heard the piano stop. Footsteps came to him, then the feel of his valet's warmth overcame him. Almost fully asleep, he felt Leo lean down to him, his long, black, messy and tangled hair tickling his face and ears.

Breath. Breath on his lips. "Elliot," he heard Leo whispered. Sorrow. Despair. Why were they in his voice? Leo's voice? Such pain. So whitehot, sharp, like the lightening outside. Too much to bare - the Nightray boy's chest tightened. "I love you."

"Nn," the brunette noised, the smallest of smiles on his lips. He turned restlessly, reaching with his eyes closed as Leo murmured, "Awake...?" uncertinaly. But, no - Elliot was more asleep than awake. Nonetheless, somehow, the brunette knew what he was doing. Reaching - Elliot reached for Leo, his fingertips running along the side of his face. "Leo."

"Elliot," Leo repeated, biting his lip. He sniffed slightly, humming softly as he laid on the medium sized couch beside his master, his best friend, his true friend - his first friend. "I love you, Elliot," he repeated again.

"Love... I love you..." Elliot murmured, now more awake. "Leo... love you..."

A small laugh from Leo, then, a single lined hummed. _"'Cause without your love, my life ain't nothing but his carnival of rust... Without your love, my life ain't nothing... but this carnival of rust."_


End file.
